Nintendo Wii officially launches in America

America gets more stock than customers

19 November 2006 14:22 GMT / By Stuart Miles

The Nintendo Wii has officially launched in America with many stores across the continent holding midnight openings.

Similar to Sony's PlayStation 3 launch just days before, Nintendo put on special launch events in New York and Los Angeles.

Gadget blog, Gizmondo reports who reported live from the Toys R Us store in New York said that the Nintendo had packed the store with over 5000 Nintendo Wii consoles, more than enough for the 2500-3000 gamers who took to the street to get themselves the new console.

The first owner of the new console in the US is a Isaiah "Triforce" Johnson, 29. Toys R Us employees cheered and Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime helped ring up the sale.

"I had to get it first", Johnson told Reuters, who was dressed in a black leather Nintendo coat and "Legend of Zelda" sweatshirt. He immediately took the Wii out of its box and had Fils-Aime autograph it.

With supposedly no one going home empty handed, the stock issues represents a dramatically different picture from Sony's game console launch where crowds of fans where turned away empty-handed.

Perhaps emphasising how much stock Nintnedo managed to make available for launch shows by the price on eBay.

Compared to the over exbuberant prices for the PS3 which have been as high as $9000, most listings for the $250 console are currently only over double the retail price.

Full tags

Gaming, Nintendo Wii, Gaming hardware, Nintendo